1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus allowing easy setting of a function requested by a user from among a large number of functions. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus allowing setting to a desired state with a small number of operations, based on operations made by the user for setting the function.
2. Description of the Background Art
It has become increasingly common to connect an image forming apparatus having a printer function or a copy function to a network, to allow use by a plurality of users. Further, the number of apparatuses having a plurality of basic functions (modes) such as a copy function, a facsimile function (hereinafter “facsimile” may also be denoted as FAX or fax), a network-supported printer function and a scanner function, such as MFPs (multi-function peripherals), is increasing.
In such a multifunction peripheral, each user selects a basic function (mode) and sets, for example, a function of duplex (two-sided) printing or collective printing (such as 2-in-1 by which two pages of an original document are printed on one sheet, or 4-in-1 by which four pages of an original document are printed on one sheet), whereby images are formed on sheets of paper in a desired manner. It is increasingly common to combine such functions appropriately for use. By way of example, a user using such a multifunction peripheral (image forming apparatus) inputs image data using a scanner function, performs various image processing operations (such as collective printing) by inputting various inputs through an operation panel (a touch-panel display of about 10-inch size) and prints the processed image on a sheet of recording paper using the printer function. In connection therewith, devices that display thumbnail images or a preview image to enable confirmation of the processed results to support user operation have been known.
Further, devices that save a job program recording a series of user operations and causes execution of the job program when a specific key (for example, ten keys) is pressed, or devices that display operation histories in the form of a menu, so that the same process can be instructed in a simple manner, have been known. Examples of such devices are disclosed in patent documents as specified below. In the following, a process of allocating calling of a job program corresponding to a series of user operations to a specific key will be referred to as a “job program registration.”
The job program registration as described above requires registration operations by the user, which operations are rather complicated. Therefore, the job program registration is utilized only by frequent users and not very popular among ordinary users. In view of such a problem, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-39470 (hereinafter referred to as “'470 Reference”) discloses an image forming apparatus allowing registration of settings such as print conditions, without any special operation for registration.
The image forming apparatus includes: a user setting storage unit storing user settings of various setting values for one or more predetermined setting items related to execution of an image forming job; an automatic storage control unit causing, when an instruction to execute an image forming job is received, the user setting in the user setting storage unit; a selecting unit allowing an operator to select one user setting from among user settings stored in the user setting storage unit; a setting unit setting various setting values included in the user setting selected by the selecting unit in the apparatus; and an image forming job executing unit executing the image forming job.
In the image forming apparatus, when an image forming job is executed, user setting related to the setting items for the image forming job is automatically stored by the apparatus. Thereafter, an operator selects an appropriate user setting from among the user settings stored in the apparatus using the selecting unit, and thereby sets the setting in the apparatus. Therefore, the user setting can be stored in the apparatus without necessitating any complicated manual operations by the operator for storing set values. It is possible for the user to have the user setting stored, without performing complicated registration operations.
Further, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2007-79382 (hereinafter referred to as “'382 Reference”) discloses an image forming apparatus in which among various settings that can be set by the user, those that are used frequently are allocated to setting operations by a setting unit in accordance with the manner of use by the user, whereby the setting operation for executing a process can be simplified.
The image forming apparatus has an operation panel, on which a setting registration key for instructing registration of an operation setting, and a setting selection key for instructing calling of a registered setting are provided. When a user uses the image forming apparatus, he/she enters user identification information through the operation panel. The user can set the image forming apparatus to a desired state using the operation panel. After the image forming apparatus is set to the desired state, if the user presses the setting registration key and presses a desired key among the ten keys, the image forming apparatus stores the user identification information and setting of the image forming apparatus at that time in association with each other in a storage.
Assume that the user subsequently uses the image forming apparatus. Consider that the user sets the image forming apparatus to the setting registered previously using the setting registration key. In such a situation, the user presses the setting selection key. Further, the user presses the key that corresponds to the desired setting, among the ten keys. Then, the setting stored in the image forming apparatus in association with the user identification information and the setting corresponding to the key is read. On the operation panel of the image forming apparatus, the set contents are displayed. The user confirms that the set contents are as desired by himself/herself, and then presses an execution key. The image forming apparatus is set in accordance with the read set contents, and an image is printed in accordance with the set contents.
'382 Reference further discloses an image forming apparatus that saves history of used set contents. Based on the history of set contents, the image forming apparatus allocates the set contents to ten keys 0, 1, . . . in order starting from the set contents that has the highest frequency of use. When the user presses the setting selection key and then presses 0 of the ten keys, the set contents used most frequently by the user are displayed on the operation panel. When the user presses 1 of the ten keys, the set contents used second most frequently by the user are displayed on the operation panel. Similarly, by pressing the ten keys up to 9, it is possible for the user to confirm the set contents successively in order, starting from the contents of highest frequency of use. If the user presses the execution key with the desired set contents displayed on the operation panel, the image forming apparatus starts operation in accordance with the set contents.
According to the image forming apparatus, settings that are frequently used by the user are allocated one by one to the ten keys. Therefore, it is highly likely that the user simply needs calling of the setting using the ten keys when the job is to be executed. Printing can be started in a simple manner without necessitating complicated operations by the user for print setting. Since various settings that are used frequently by the user can be allocated to ten keys and registered, the operation for setting the image forming apparatus to a desired state at the time of executing a job can be simplified.
Recent multifunctional peripherals have various and many functions to meet various and many demands of the users. The technique disclosed in '470 Reference or '382 Reference described above is effective if a user using such a multifunctional peripheral repeatedly selects one same function. Specifically, by automatically registering a job program using the technique disclosed in '470 Reference or by displaying job programs registered in accordance with user request with priority given to those used frequently using the technique disclosed in '382 Reference, the number of operations required of the user to set functions can be reduced.
The techniques disclosed in '470 Reference and '382 Reference described above, however, still have room for improvement.
According to the technique disclosed in '470 Reference, used settings are all registered as job programs regardless of the frequency of use. Therefore, it is possible that settings of which frequency of use is very low are also registered. As a result, it is expected that a huge number of job programs are stored in the image forming apparatus. It is necessary for the user to select a desired job program from the huge number of job programs. Particularly, the size of an operation panel is not very large as compared with a monitor screen of a personal computer and, therefore, it is necessary to switch images one after another to display the huge number of job programs. Selection of a job program through such an operation is very troublesome.
In the first embodiment disclosed in '382 Reference, it is necessary for the user to determine whether or not the set contents are to be registered. In the second embodiment, it is necessary to press ten keys successively to display the desired set contents and to confirm the displayed set contents. If the desired set contents are not registered in any of the keys up to the tenth key, it is necessary for the user to again input the contents to be set.